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Buy Cables and Feed the Hungry

There are only a few short days left, but once again, audiophiles can help themselves and others at the same time by participating in The Cable Company's sixth annual "Summer Against Hunger" campaign. The">http://www.fatwyre.com">The Cable Company (and www.usedcable.comhttp://www.usedcable.com">www.usedcable.com;), along with several manufacturers and audiophile publications, have set up a program by which they offer to donate up to 10% of August sales to CARE and the International Rescue Committee, these contributions to be used to assist the worldwide disaster relief efforts of those humanitarian organizations.

Added to the Archives This Week

From the August 2001 issue, we have Michael Fremer's illuminating review of the Audio">http://www.stereophile.com//loudspeakerreviews/394/">Audio Physic Avanti III loudspeaker. Fremer wonders how Audio Physic can top the outstanding price/performance success of its middle-of-the line Virgo">http://www.stereophile.com//loudspeakerreviews/147/">Virgo model with a speaker that costs twice as much. As Fremer asks, "Is the Avanti twice as good as the Virgo? More than twice as good? Or is it just another competent but undistinguished design?"

Europe Gets More Protection

Maybe it's because those Yanks are so contentious, but it appears that most of the initial CD copy-protection activity is taking place in Europe (see previoushttp://www.stereophile.com/news/11113/">previous;). Last week, Phoenix, AZ–based SunnComm announced that it has reached an agreement in principle with Sonopresshttp://www.sonopress.de">Sonopress; of Germany for implementation of its MediaCloQ technology in manufacturing facilities located all over Europe.

Antitrust Probe of Online Music Plans

When does cooperation become collusion? When does collusion become anti-competitive? Investigators at the US Justice Department have begun asking such questions in regard to plans by major music labels to make their wares available on the Internet.

Wishful Format Thinking?

Last week, InterTrust">http://www.InterTrust.com/">InterTrust Technologies, which creates Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology, and format developer DataPlayhttp://www.dataplay.com">DataPlay; announced a partnership intended to create a portable media distribution platform for protected content such as music. Universal Music Group, EMI Recorded Music, and BMG Entertainment have all announced that they are planning to release prerecorded music on the resultant DataPlay digital format for use in a variety of consumer electronic devices.

CEA Supports Music Online Act

The Music Online Competition Act (MOCA) has won the imprimatur of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), according to an announcement made August 8. The recently-introduced bipartisan">http://www.stereophile.com/news/11107/">bipartisan bill crafted by Congressmen Chris Cannon (R-Utah) and Rick Boucher (D-Virginia) intends to insure competition in the delivery of online music—and to preserve music lovers' rights to copy their own recordings for private use.

One Million Protected CDs

While Napster was thriving a few short months ago, the music business was noisily seething and quietly plotting. How could they put the digital audio genie back into the content-control bottle? Although Napster has since been gutted, the labels have identified the unprotected CD as the source of their woes, and now it's payback time.

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